Legislators wonder like the rest of us: will a deal be struck?

> Posted by Josh Hafenbrack at 10:11 AM

People stop Kelly Skidmore at the grocery store with a question: What’s going to happen with property taxes?

The truth is, Skidmore, a freshman legislator from Boca Raton, doesn’t know much more than they do.

Skidmore’s among the scores of legislators who are in an odd position as negotiations on property taxes reach the 11th hour: She’s at home, with no idea what plan, if any, will emerge from closed-door negotiations between the House and Senate – a plan she’ll have to vote on and defend to her neighbors and voters.

“I’m certainly not in the small room with the big boys, but I am part of the largest freshman class in the last maybe eight, 10 years in the Florida House,” she said. “There’s beauty in numbers. We talk amongst ourselves to make sure we reach some type of consensus. We do need a plan soon.”

Carl Domino, a Jupiter Republican, has pushed for years for portability, but now his political pursuit hangs on negotiations he’s not privy to. He’s cooling his heels at a PGA golf tournament this weekend, with no clue what may await him in Tallahassee.

“Everyone’s asked me what’s going to happen. And I’m telling them, well, we’ve gotta wait and see,” he said. “There’s a proposal in the Senate, there’s a proposal in the House – ordinarily they might meet in the middle.”

In the Senate, information flows a little more freely, since there are only 40 senators and just a few votes could swing the outcome. Still, not everyone’s in the loop, even on when the Senate will reconvene.

To find out the status of negotiations, Aronberg said he reads the newspapers, talks to Democratic Senate Leader Steve Geller – “His information is probably only a half step ahead of me,” Aronberg said – and obsessively checks the political blogs.

Still, he said with a laugh: “I can’t tell you if we’re going back to Tallahassee on Monday.”

Comments

This situation illiminates the fact that the Florida Legislature is inept, due to the traditional odd-ball collection of political hacks that too often dominate its operations. I've studied them for over 40 years and have just about given up on their ability to get the people's business accomplished.

Remeber the old phrase saying that we should say a prayer every day that the Legislature is NOT in session.It is shameful that we voters continue to elect people who are so clearly unwilling to function together and earn their pay checks. On important matters such as this Special Session every member should be in tight communication and well aware to fht progress of any negotiations. To admit that this is not the case is to admit their inability to do their jobs.
Shameful !